Traditional Wedding Outline - I Corinthians 13

Procession

Order of Entrance

Pastor, groom, and groomsmen enter. Bridal party, ring bearer and flower girl enter. Then, all stand, and the bride is escorted by her father.

Welcome

To The Audience

We are here today as family and friends, in the presence of God, to celebrate with  (Bride - First & Last) and (Groom - First & Last) on their wedding day.Marriage is a beautiful union of two souls in love, who are bound to one another by their commitment to love one another for the rest of their lives.

Prayer

Opening Prayer

Please join me as we begin in prayer:God, you are the creator of love. Thank you for bringing (Groom) and (Bride) together. Thank you for the love that they have for one another that has brought them to this day. Please bless their marriage, guide their new life together, watch over them, and help them keep the fire of their love burning bright. Amen.You may be seated.

Declaration Of Intent

To The Bride And Groom

(Groom) and (Bride), it is time for you both to declare your intentions.(Bride), do you take (Groom) to be your husband? And do you promise to love him, honor him, and be faithful to him as long as you both live? If so, please say, "I do."*(Bride):  I do.*(Groom), do you take (Bride) to be your wife? And do you promise to love her, honor her, and be faithful to her as long as you both live? If so, please say, "I do."*(Groom): I do.*

Giving Bride Away

To The Father Of The Bride

Who gives this woman to be married to this man?*Father and Mother of Bride: We do.*

Response Of Family And Friends

To The Audience

At this time I would like to invite you, as friends and family, to be part of this ceremony. (Bride) and (Groom) have said that they are here today to join in the covenant of marriage. So I ask: will you as their friends and family commit to encouraging and helping them in their marriage—being there for them in times of celebration and times of need? Will you commit to uphold them in prayer as they begin the rest of their lives together? If you agree to this commitment will you please respond by saying "we will."*Audience: We will.*

Scripture Reading

(Groom) and (Bride) have asked me to read 1 Corinthians 13 from the Bible. This is the Word of God as written by the Apostle Paul...

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 (ESV)

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant

5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;

6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV

13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Sermon

As a pastor, I have the joy of being a part of many wedding ceremonies. I get to sit down with couples and hear all about how they met, fell in love, and how their lives have been changed through their love for one another. And it is easy to see that (Groom) and (Bride) do love each other.But what is love? Love is a very common word. We use it in many different ways. We say, "I love you," to the person we care about most in the world, but we also say, "I love chocolate." Certainly, we don't love our significant other the same way that we love chocolate. Yet, we have no better words to express ourselves. So what is love, really?As we heard in 1 Corinthians 13, love is patient, kind, and forgiving among many other things. Love means being all these things, and notice that it is not about a feeling. Most people, when thinking about love, think about the emotion - the romance of falling in love and the desire to share every moment, and learn everything about this other person. We think of the kind of love we see in movies that usually end with a wedding like this.But love is far more than an emotion. Emotions are fleeting. They are here one moment and gone the next. Anyone who has been married longer than a day knows that the feeling of love comes and goes. Marriage is not easy because true love is more than a feeling; it's a choice.If you want your marriage to be strong and to last, you must choose every day to love the other. If you choose to do this, your marriage will be one of the most fulfilling, rewarding, and fruitful parts of your entire life.The perfect example of love is found in Jesus, who sacrificed everything and humbled himself by taking on the form of a man, coming down from heaven to earth to die for us. He chose to give up his life so that all who believe in him could have life.Jesus' sacrifice was out of his great love for us. There is no greater love than to lay down your life for another. In the same way, my hope is that you, (Groom) and (Bride), would lay down your lives for one another—giving of yourself to the other in the same way that Jesus gave his life for you.(Groom), each day choose to love (Bride) by putting her desires ahead of your own. (Bride), each day choose to love (Groom) by putting his desires ahead of your own. This feeling of your wedding day will fade in time, and in those moments, you both must choose to love.

Hands Ceremony

To The Bride And Groom

Would you turn and face one another, and take each other’s hands as a symbol of your union together.Hands Ceremony - author unknown"These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow and forever.These are the hands that will work alongside yours as together you build your future.These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch will comfort you like no other. These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief temporarily comes to you. These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes, tears of sorrow and tears of joy.These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children, the hands that will join your family as one. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it, support and encouragement to pursue your dreams, and comfort through difficult times.And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.”

Vows

Option 1:

Traditional Vows

Now as a sign of your promise to one another, you will exchange your vows. We will start with you (Groom). Please, repeat after me.*(Groom): In the name of God  – I (Groom) – take you (Bride) –  to be my wife – To have and to hold – From this day forward – For better, or worse – For richer, or poorer – In sickness, and in health – To love and to cherish –  All the days of my life – Until we are parted by death – This is my solemn vow.*(Bride), please repeat after me.*(Bride): In the name of God  – I (Bride) – take you (Groom) –  to be my husband – To have and to hold – From this day forward – For better, or worse – For richer, or poorer – In sickness, and in health – To love and to cherish –  All the days of my life – Until we are parted by death – This is my solemn vow.*

Option 2:

Written Vows

Now, as a sign of their promise to one another, (Bride) and (Groom) are going to exchange vows. (Groom) and (Bride) have written their own vows of marriage allowing us to see their heart for one another.We will start with you (Groom). *(Groom says vows)*Thank you (Groom).  And now (Bride) please share your vows to (Groom). *(Bride says vows)*

Ring Exchange

To The Bride, Groom, And Audience

(Groom) and (Bride) will now exchange rings as a symbol of their commitment to each other. May I have the rings, please.Best man hands rings to pastorThese rings are a daily reminder and a public declaration of the promise you have made. Notice the circle of the ring has no beginning and no end. It is an eternal circle meant to represent your life-long vow to love each other. The ring is also made from purified precious metals. This is symbolic of the purity of your promise to remain faithful to each other.(Bride) please put this ring on (Groom's) finger and repeat after me:*With this ring – I thee wed – and pledge to you – my loyalty and love – in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – Amen*(Groom) please put this ring on (Bride's) finger and repeat after me:*With this ring – I thee wed – and pledge to you – my loyalty and love – in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – Amen*Additional Elements

Additional Elements

Communion

As a sign of their commitment to one another and to the Lord, (Groom) and (Bride) are now going to take communion together. In the taking of the bread and the cup they remember the great love that Jesus had for us in laying down his life for us. It is also a reminder of their responsibility to sacrifice themselves for one another. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26, NIV) The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Bride and Groom take communion

Unity Candle

Now, as a sign of their commitment to one another (Groom) and (Bride) are going to participate in a lighting of a Unity Candle. The individual candles represent their individual lives before they met. But their love for one another and their marriage today has joined them together as one. Just as God said when he created marriage, a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and the two become one (Gen 2:24).Bride and Groom light unity candle

Sand Ceremony

As a sign of their commitment to one another (Groom) and (Bride) are going to participate in a sand ceremony. The flowing sand and blending of the colors in the Sand Ceremony symbolize the bringing together of two lives into one. The separate sands once poured into the unity vase can never be put back into their separate vases. They are forever entwined just as the lives of the Bride and Groom. Just as God said when he created marriage, a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and the two become one (Gen 2:24).Bride and Groom pour sand

Blessing

May the LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.

Pronouncement

To The Bride And Groom

(Groom) and (Bride), as you have declared your intentions for marriage, declared your vows before God and these witnesses, and exchanged rings as a symbol of your promise, I now by the power vested in me, pronounce you as husband and wife.

Kiss

To The Bride, Groom, And Audience

You may now kiss the Bride! *Bride & Groom kiss*Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s my great joy and honor to be the first to present to you: Mr. & Mrs. (Groom) & (Bride) (Last Name)!

Recessional

Order of Exit

The Bride and Groom exit first, followed by the wedding party.

Closing Comments

To The Audience

Thank you again for joining us today, (Groom) and (Bride) would love for you to join their celebration…(details or directions to reception). Thank you.